The Philadelphia Flyers’ preseason “dress rehearsal” game at Xfinity Mobile Arena looked, at times, like a team ready for Opening Night. At others, it looked every bit like a group still wrestling with new systems and the occasional self-inflicted wound.
In the end, the Islanders capitalized on late mistakes and handed Philadelphia a 4–3 loss—a result that matters less than the patterns behind it.
For Rick Tocchet and his staff, this was less about the score and more about the sharp contrasts on display: moments of speed and promise counterbalanced by costly breakdowns that NHL teams will never forgive.
When Preseason Mistakes Become Costly
The decisive sequence that led to the Islanders' game-winning goal encapsulated the problem. What should have been a manageable defensive read spiraled into a freebie for New York.
“There’s a couple of mistakes,” Tocchet explained postgame. “First of all, [Matvei Michkov] has to get out there and he got beat up the ice. He was ahead of the guys. I think [Adam Ginning]—he’s either got to go or he has to back off. He was caught in between. He’s just buying time, just stay in the middle of the ice, let the guys back there.”
This, for Tocchet, wasn’t about punishing individuals but stressing principles. The Flyers’ new system will take time to master, but these lapses—players caught in between, failing to sort assignments—are the kind of breakdowns that giftwrap goals.
“It’s a new system,” Tocchet said. “We’ve gotta go through these things. But if you communicate that stuff…yeah, that has to be better…There’s just freebies. You might get about three freebies a month; you can’t give them two or three in a game. It just can’t happen. You can’t give free goals in this league.”
Egor Zamula, too, earned a pointed critique after a night in which he failed to distinguish himself. “Yeah,” Tocchet admitted bluntly. “He’s got to pick it up. Definitely.”
That’s preseason in a nutshell: mistakes become teaching tools, but they’re also data points when roster spots hang in the balance.
Grebenkin’s Speed and Fearlessness
On the brighter side, Nikita Grebenkin continued to make himself impossible to ignore. The 21-year-old winger didn’t just look fast—he looked fearless, attacking gaps and creating chances through sheer tenacity.
“He’s a sticky guy,” Tocchet said postgame. “He comes up with loose pucks. You always need those corner guys that come up with pucks, and we can continue to teach them to play that way—grab pucks, a whole lot of pucks. In the first [period], he had that burst of speed and split the D—that’s good stuff. We want that from them.”
Tocchet once again highlighted Nikita Grebenkin’s “sticky” game. Sounded very positive about how Grebenkin played tonight vs. NYI.
In a camp that has seen several young players fade in and out of relevance, Grebenkin has been consistently noticeable, consistently disruptive, and consistently effective. His game screams “NHL-ready,” even if the Flyers weren’t expecting it.
A Line Worth Building Around
For Owen Tippett, last season’s frustration wasn’t about production—it was about never finding a true home on a line. He was shuffled often, always the useful part but rarely the centerpiece, and it showed in his inconsistency. If tonight was any indication, that narrative may be shifting.
The line of Tippett, Trevor Zegras, and Michkov flashed serious potential. Their skillsets don’t just complement each other—they stretch defenses in ways that few Flyers trios have in recent years. Tippett’s straight-line explosiveness, Zegras’ flair and playmaking, and Michkov’s uncanny ability to create offense out of slivers of space give the unit a balance of speed, creativity, and finishing touch.
It’s early, and chemistry can’t be declared off of one night. But if this line clicks, it solves two problems at once: it gives Tippett the stability he’s been craving and provides Michkov with linemates who can keep up with his vision.
Ersson’s Final Tune-Up
Between the pipes, Sam Ersson played the full 60 minutes in his final tune-up before the regular season. The 25-year-old wasn’t flawless, but he was steady, tracking pucks through traffic and making a handful of highlight stops to keep the Flyers alive.
“There were some point shots, there were a couple of double screens in front, and he made some good saves, a couple of gloves there. I don’t know how he saw that,” Tocchet said. “I thought he was solid. He definitely wasn’t the reason why we lost the game.”
Rick Tocchet said that he thought that Sam Ersson had a solid game. Highlighted that he made saves that Tocchet himself didn’t even see. Ersson said that he feels like his game is in a good place as preseason winds down.
Ersson himself echoed the confidence. “[I feel] pretty good,” he said. “I think we can get better and better. There’s obviously always going to be small situations in a game, but overall…everything is in a good spot. I liked my game today.”
The Flyers’ goaltending picture remains a work in progress, but Ersson’s performance reassured both staff and fans that the crease is in capable hands.
Dvorak’s Understated Influence
Christian Dvorak isn’t the flashiest forward in orange and black, but nights like this underline his value. His backhand setup for Travis Sanheim’s opening goal was a thing of vision and touch, threading the needle in traffic.
Beyond the highlight, he was engaged, reliable, and quietly effective in both ends.
“I feel pretty good,” Dvorak said. “I think I’ve had a good start so far. I had some good chances that I’d like to bury. Just gotta keep working on that in practice and get better at it.”
For a team in flux, players like Dvorak are invaluable—not just for the points they produce, but for the stability they bring to a lineup that leans young.
Final Thoughts
The Flyers’ 4–3 loss to the Islanders was the kind of preseason game coaches circle in red ink.
It revealed flaws that need cleaning up—poor reads, gaps in execution, lapses in focus. But it also revealed a few pieces of genuine promise: Grebenkin’s spark, Ersson’s calm, and a line combination that could unlock Tippett in ways we haven’t seen before.
Tocchet is right—mistakes are inevitable when implementing a new system. The key is whether they shrink in frequency as the real season begins. The Flyers don’t need perfection yet. What they need is direction, and for all the bumps, there were enough signs tonight to suggest they’re moving the right way.
Cam Schlittler blasted into Yankee postseason lore Thursday night with a spectacular start in the Yankees’ 4-0 victory over the Red Sox in the deciding game of their AL Wild Card series.
Schlittler threw eight scintillating shutout innings, allowing only five hits and no walks, and set a record for strikeouts by a Yankee rookie in a playoff game (12) all while making throwing 100 miles per hour look easy.
The series victory means the Yankees advance to a best-of-five AL Division Series against the Blue Jays, which begins Saturday in Toronto. The Red Sox had beaten the Yankees the last three times they had met in the playoffs -- 2004, 2018 and 2021.
The Yankees also made a slice of Wild Card history: They are the first team under the new playoff format (since 2022) to lose the first game of a Wild Card series and go on to win. The team that had won the opening game had been 15-0 in series until the Yanks’ victory.
Here are the takeaways...
- Schlittler was never in real trouble all night -- the Red Sox had one at-bat against him with a runner in scoring position and Schlittler struck out Jarren Duran in that at-bat to end the fifth inning. That was also the only frame in which the Red Sox had more than one runner on base against him. Hard to have a big inning that way. Schlittler threw his 100th pitch of the night to get out of the seventh inning but was cruising, so Yankees manager Aaron Boone gave him the eighth, too. Schlittler threw only seven pitches to rocket through the eighth inning. Boone used David Bednar, pitching for the third straight day, to close.
- Schlittler was already a great storyline entering the game. He is a native of Walpole, Mass. – Red Sox territory – grew up rooting for them and pitched in college at Northeastern, which is located in Boston. He was a seventh-round pick by the Yankees in the 2022 draft and says his pro career has essentially converted his whole family to Yankee fans. Schlittler was the fourth rookie pitcher in Yankee history to start a winner-take-all Postseason game, joining Spec Shea in Game 7 of the 1947 World Series, Mel Stottlemyre in Game 7 of the 1964 World Series and Iván Nova in Game 5 of the 2011 ALDS.
- Poor Red Sox fundamentals helped the Yankees in their four-run fourth inning, which was more than enough offense to command the game with the way Schlittler was dealing. Cody Bellinger led off with a bloop into center field that three fielders pursued, but none caught. Bellinger, to his credit, kept running and whirled into second with a lucky double. Giancarlo Stanton followed with a walk and, one out later, Amed Rosario hit an RBI single through the left side. After Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled, Anthony Volpe swatted an RBI hit through the right side when Boston was playing him to pull. Then things got weird. Austin Wells followed and was initially going to be awarded first base on catcher’s interference, but a replay review revealed Carlos Narváez’s mitt never touched Wells’ bat. Wells remained at bat and, on a 3-2 pitch, hit a hard grounder toward first that could’ve been an inning-ending double play, but the ball glanced off Nathaniel Lowe’s glove and two runs scored. It’s worth noting here that the Red Sox made the most errors in the Major Leagues this season and an outfield blunder had cost them dearly in Game 2 when Duran bungled a catchable ball in left.
- Rosario, in the lineup against a lefty for the second time in the series, started at third base. He’s always been good against left-handers -- this year, he hit .302 with a .491 slugging percentage against left-handed pitchers, a smidge better than his very-good career numbers.
- Red Sox starter Connelly Early, a 23-year-old lefty who started the season in Double-A, had only 19.1 innings of big-league experience entering Game 3, but had fashioned a 2.33 ERA over four starts while fanning 29 batters. He was quite sharp early on, though his outing crumbled in the fourth. He had struck out five and allowed only two hits through the first three frames, but ended up giving up four runs (three earned) and six hits in 3.2 innings. Lucas Giolito probably would’ve started Game 3 for Boston, but he’s got an elbow issue, which knocked him out of the postseason.
- Early, who is 23 years, 182 days old, was the youngest pitcher to start a Postseason game for the Red Sox since – get ready for this – 21-year-old Babe Ruth in Game 2 of the 1916 World Series. In that tilt, Ruth threw a 14-inning complete game in a 2-1 Boston victory over the Brooklyn Robins. Yes, it was a much different era. Ruth also had an RBI in the game.
- Ryan McMahon, who entered the game for Rosario in the sixth inning for defense, made a spectacular catch of a foul pop by Duran in the eighth inning, flopping over the railing of the Red Sox dugout to snare the ball for the second out. He popped back up and went back to his spot at third base.
- Maybe the Yankees got some good karma going early by bringing Bucky Dent to the Stadium to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The timing was certainly right -- it was an elimination game against the Red Sox and Thursday was the 47th anniversary of Dent’s famous homer in the one-game playoff between the two teams to decide the AL East title in 1978. Dent’s home run was a key blast in the Yanks’ victory then.
Game MVP: Cam Schlittler
Schlittler, obviously. It continued a great run of pitching for the Yankee youngster. He finished the regular season with a 2.23 ERA over his final nine starts and a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts overall. Not bad for someone who started the season at the Double-A level.
Highlights
Cam Schlittler finishes off Alex Bregman with 100 to cap off a 1-2-3 first inning 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zFzkHVnVUh
While it's still early, the Philadelphia Flyers may have found themselves a hidden gem in winger prospect Nikita Grebenkin, who continues to impress in the NHL preseason and training camp.
Grebenkin, 22, has begun to understand his role as a support player and power forward of sorts, and even admitted last week that he "didn't understand" his coach in the KHL.
"I go here and Coach Tocc [tells] me, 'It's your game, tough game, you're a big guy, hard-working, it's good for you. You get points and you score here', Grebenkin had said. "I don't want to stay long time behind the net, but now I understand. It's good for me. It's my game."
Grebenkin got to the net again against the New York Islanders on Thursday night, screening superstar goalie Ilya Sorokin on Travis Konecny's second-period one-timer goal to help give the Flyers a 2-1 lead.
And, although the Flyers did ultimately lose by a narrow 4-3 margin, Grebenkin again proved that he can hang with players like Konecny and Sean Couturier and make plays.
"He made that goal, and he's a sticky guy. He comes up with loose pucks, support. You always need those corner guys that could come up with pucks," Tocchet said of Grebenkin after the loss. "If we can continue to teach him to play that way, he can be a real force out there.
"I think in the first period, he almost split the D. That's good stuff. We want that from him, so I hope he continues to do that."
Grebenkin finished Thursday's exhibition game with three shots on goal in a relatively modest 14:07 of ice time, and this was a game where the Flyers had only one power play opportunity.
We've seen the blossoming Russian wreak havoc in the crease to create a goal more than once this preseason, and that tool should be equally or more useful with the man advantage as the Flyers' coaching staff grows more and more comfortable with him.
At this point, we can consider Grebenkin a virtual lock to make the Flyers' final roster, with a few players still left jostling for a roster spot. Jett Luchanko and Rodrigo Abols, however, have not done enough consistently enough to leave Grebenkin in limbo on this roster.
Also of note: Owen Tippett played alongside Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov on Thursday night, and all three forwards stumbled to an unproductive outing that saw them each finish with -2 ratings.
Grebenkin played with those two in the first preseason game of the slate, and it could be a look the Flyers return to if Zegras and Michkov can't find chemistry with Tippett soon.
The opportunities are there for the taking, and should Grebenkin continue on this upwards trajectory, he could easily be a pleasant surprise for the Flyers in the top-nine forward group.
The Pittsburgh Penguins practiced on Thursday, and the players were split into two groups. The first one consisted of many players who are expected to be in the AHL this year, while the second was the main NHL group.
It came one night after the Penguins secured their fourth-straight preseason win. They beat the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo, 5-3, thanks to goals from Filip Hallander, Matt Dumba, Ville Koivunen, Tristan Broz, and Avery Hayes. They'll play the Sabres again on Friday in their final preseason game before the regular season starts next week.
Speaking of the regular season, here's a look at a few observations from Thursday's practice and where some players currently stand.
- Owen Pickering and Tristan Broz were in the first practice at 10:30 a.m. ET, a sign that they could be starting the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Both have been competing for spots on the NHL roster during training camp, but the competition is fierce.
- Sebastian Aho, Danton Heinen, Philip Kemp, Joona Koppanen, Filip Larsson, and Valtteri Puustinen were also practicing with the first group before being placed on waivers at 2 p.m. ET. If all of them go unclaimed, they will be eligible to be reassigned to WBS.
- Top prospects Benjamin Kindel and Harrison Brunicke were practicing with the main NHL group starting at Noon ET and are trying to secure at least nine-game trials to open the 2025-26 season. Brunicke was skating a lot with Connor Clifton during practice, but also got some time with Ryan Shea. Kindel was skating with Tommy Novak and Philip Tomasino, while Filip Hallander also rotated on that line.
Kindel continues to look better and better in each preseason game he plays in, and has really impressed Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.
"He's got a lot of poise with the puck, a lot of speed. Those two things probably stand out the most," Crosby said after Thursday's practice. "I think he's using his speed well, he's finding guys. He distributes the puck really well and he seems like he's confident. It doesn't seem like it's been too fast for him or anything like that to this point. He's done a great job, so, sometimes it takes time to adjust to all of that, but it seems like with every game he's getting more and more comfortable."
With Bryan Rust on the mend for a minimum of two weeks, there's an opportunity for Kindel to get a taste of NHL action if he can finish the preseason in style.
- Caleb Jones has continued to be paired with Kris Letang during practice, and there's a chance that could be the second pair to open the season. Jones and Letang started getting reps together when training camp opened, and the two have continued to be a pairing in scrimmages, other practices, and on September 21, when Marc-Andre Fleury played the third period of the Penguins-Jackets preseason game.
Jones played in only six NHL games last season and has played a total of 31 NHL games over the past two years. He and Letang are on the roster for Friday's preseason finale against the Sabres, so we'll see if they get some more game reps before the Penguins open the regular season on Tuesday against the New York Rangers.
- Parker Wotherspoon and Erik Karlsson were also a pair during practice again, and it appears those two will be on the top pair to open the season. They also played together during the September 21 preseason game and have already formed some solid chemistry.
Wotherspoon is the Penguins' best player on the left side of their defense and can help cover for Karlsson if he's pinching in the offensive zone. The Penguins signed Wotherspoon to a two-year contract when free agency opened on July 1.
The players that are on the roster for Friday's preseason game will skate at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex at 10:30 a.m. ET before playing the Sabres at 7 p.m. ET. Fans in the Pittsburgh area can watch the game on SportsNet Pittsburgh+ or listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
The preseason continued for the Florida Panthers on Thursday night in Tampa, but it felt very different than any of the Cats’ previous exhibition games.
That’s because for the first time, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice dressed a lineup made up of only NHL regulars.
It was that roster, which could very well end up looking the same for Opening Night (minus Sergei Bobrovsky, who did not dress on Thursday), that faced off against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena.
Considering the familiarity between the two teams, it comes as no surprise that the first period was full of contentious play and penalties, with the Cats and Bolts combining for 30 PIMs.
Nearly half of those belonged to A.J. Greer after he picked up a double minor for roughing Tampa’s Darren Raddysh along with a ten-minute misconduct.
With just over eight minutes left in the period and Florida once again shorthanded, Eetu Luostarinen beat two Tampa players to the puck just inside the Lightning blue line, and since one of those players was goaltender Brandon Halverson, it left Eetu with a wide-open net to fire the puck into, giving the Cats a 1-0 lead.
Yet another Tampa Bay power play, their fourth of the period, led to Jake Guentzel finishing off a give-and-go with Nikita Kucherov to tie the game at one during the final minute of the first period.
Those 30 first period penalty minutes turned out to be only an appetizer because the Cats and Bolts took things completely off the rails during the middle frame.
A minor penalty nine seconds into the period by Tampa’s Dominic James set the stage for a Seth Jones power play goal that appeared to deflect off Brad Marchand in front, but was ultimately awarded to the defenseman, to give Florida a 2-1 lead.
From there, the parade to the penalty box was fast and furious.
Another 82 penalty minutes were handed out, including three misconducts, as the two inner-state rivals seemed to forget that they were only playing in a preseason game.
Doesn't matter if it's preseason, the Battle of Florida will always be pure chaos 🥊 pic.twitter.com/tJz3UfM2a1
The night’s first even-strength goal came late in the period when Brayden Point finished off a failed 2-on-1 by picking up the puck in the slot while Cats’ goaltender Daniil Tarasov was out of position at the side of the crease.
Arrival of the third period brought more penalties and extracurricular activities, but it also led to a pair of Tampa goals that gave the home squad a 4-2 lead before the first commercial break.
When all was said and done, a total of 186 penalty minutes were called and Tampa came away with a 5-2 win.
One thing to keep an eye on after the game is the status of Anton Lundell, who did not come out after the second intermission.
Tampa Bay and Florida wrap up their respective preseasons on Saturday night when they face off one more time in Sunrise.
Photo caption: Oct 2, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers break out in a fight in the second period at Benchmark International Arena. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
CHICAGO — Pete Crow-Armstrong hit an RBI single off a shaky Yu Darvish, and the Chicago Cubs shut down Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres for a clinching 3-1 victory in Game 3 of their NL Wild Card Series on Thursday.
Backed by a raucous crowd of 40,895 at Wrigley Field, Chicago used its stellar defense to advance in the postseason for the first time since 2017. Michael Busch hit a solo homer, and Jameson Taillon pitched four shutout innings before manager Craig Counsell used five relievers to close it out.
After Brad Keller faltered in the ninth — allowing Jackson Merrill’s leadoff homer and hitting two batters with pitches — Andrew Kittredge earned the save by retiring Jake Cronenworth on a bouncer to third and Freddy Fermin on a flyball to center field.
Next up for Chicago is a matchup with the NL Central champion Brewers in a compelling Division Series, beginning with Game 1 on Saturday in Milwaukee.
Counsell managed the Brewers for nine years before he was hired by the Cubs in November 2023, and he has been lustily booed in Milwaukee ever since he departed.
It was a disappointing finish for San Diego after it made the postseason for the fourth time in six years. The Padres forced a decisive Game 3 with a 3-0 victory on Wednesday, but their biggest stars flopped in the series finale.
Tatis went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, including a flyball to right that stranded runners on second and third in the fifth. Machado, who hit a two-run homer in Game 2, bounced to shortstop Dansby Swanson for the final out of the eighth, leaving a runner at third.
Darvish also struggled against his former team. The Japanese right-hander was pulled after the first four Cubs batters reached in the second inning, capped by the first of Crow-Armstrong’s three hits.
Jeremiah Estrada came in and issued a bases-loaded walk to Swanson, handing the Cubs a 2-0 lead. Estrada limited the damage by striking out Matt Shaw before Busch bounced into an inning-ending double play.
Taillon allowed two hits and struck out four. Caleb Thielbar got two outs before Daniel Palencia wiggled out of a fifth-inning jam while earning his second win of the series. Drew Pomeranz handled the seventh before Keller worked the eighth.
The Cubs supported their bullpen with another solid day in the field. Swanson made a slick play on Luis Arraez’s leadoff grounder in the sixth, and then turned an inning-ending double play following a walk to Machado.
Crow-Armstrong, who went 0 for 6 with five strikeouts in the first two games of the series, robbed Machado of a hit with a sliding catch in center in the first.
Up next
Chicago went 7-6 against Milwaukee this season, outscoring the Brewers 60-56. The NL Central rivals last played in August, when the Cubs won three times in a five-game series.
To be as clear as humanly possible, the Red Sox could have won the Wild Card Series over the Yankees. To be blunt, they should have won the series, as the miscues in a winnable Game 2 — a dropped liner in left, a popped-up bunt, a base-running blunder — were plays that Major League Baseball players have to make.
They could have won. They should have won. But they didn’t. They lost Game 3 at Yankee Stadium, losing 4-0 and getting just one single baserunner as far as second base, and now it’s off to a long, cold winter for the Red Sox.
Still, at no point in this brief postseason run did any reasonable person believe the Red Sox had the roster to really make a run to the World Series. The presence of Connelly Early — who looks like a high schooler and made his MLB debut 23 days ago — on the mound in a do-or-die Game 3 displayed that reality better than any words ever could.
This was a team that overachieved, and their eight-win improvement from a year ago provides plenty of reason to celebrate Alex Cora and the players who made that happen. But this was not a team built for a deep October run.
And that has to be the takeaway from every decision-maker with the Red Sox, from Alex Cora up to Craig Breslow up to Sam Kennedy up to the owner in John Henry. This team came this far with a lineup that included Masataka Yoshida and Romy Gonzalez as cleanup hitters in the playoffs and also had career minor leaguers Nick Sogard and Nate Eaton for the first two games of the series.
It’s a team that tried to patch holes with Nathaniel Lowe (DFA’d by the last-place Nationals) and Dustin May (let go by the reining-champion Dodgers amid another World Series run) while leaning entirely on a 21-year-old rookie in Roman Anthony to carry their offense.
The Red Sox, quite simply, were not good enough.
That has to be the takeaway for the front office if this team is to make something of this year’s step forward. But it’s not a given that they feel that way.
Surely, everyone can recall the 2021 postseason run, when the Red Sox made it to a sixth game of the ALCS. They did lose that series — getting outscored 23-3 by the Astros over the final three games — but hearing Henry and Kennedy speak at that infamous “Winter Weekend” event in front of booing fans, you wouldn’t know it. The powers that be used that postseason run as a shield, evidence that their plans were working, that they knew best, that the angry mob was wrong.
Yet clearly, with a couple of last-place finishes after the ALCS run and then an 81-81 record in 2024, the Red Sox were not actually built to contend — not in the short or long term. Everyone on the outside had known that for years.
On the inside? There seemed to be a bit of misplaced confidence in the direction of the club after the ill-fated Mookie Betts trade. There was a level of smugness that reared its head once again in the wake of the Rafael Devers trade.
Had the Red Sox advanced past the Yankees, perhaps there’d be some more self-assuredness. Cutting Devers loose while getting almost nothing in return was objectively a bad move, but a run to the ALDS and perhaps beyond could have emboldened them into believing whatever they wanted to believe.
Yet after scoring six runs in three games and getting bullied in Game 3 in Yankee Stadium, will the decision-makers feel the urgency in the months ahead? There are no cutting corners on the path to true contention, and a don’t-you-remember-we-made-the-ALCS-in-2021 refrain can’t be used a shield for any mismanagement that lies ahead.
This lineup is not built to contend, and the rotation needs serious investment. The Red Sox aren’t miles away, and with the proper attention, they can be in contention as soon as next year. They just need to remember that they’re the Boston Red Sox and then act — and spend — accordingly.
As for this one, let’s check in with some of what we learned in the disappointing season finale.
Defense was a problem again
After Jarren Duran butchered a shallow pop in Game 2, you’d think he’d be entering Game 3 with a renewed focus. Instead, he stood by idly as Giancarlo Stanton’s moonshot … hit the base of the wall in left-center field. Stanton should have had an all-time blooper moment by getting gunned down at second after standing and admiring his wall ball, but Duran took so long to get to the ball and got absolutely nothing on his throw into the infield, giving second base to Stanton.
Stanton didn’t score, but Connelly Early had to throw 18 high-leverage pitches with the runner in scoring position after the missed opportunity by Duran.
The much costlier mistake came form an unlikely source in Ceddanne Rafaela. He is, without question, one of the best center fielders in baseball at tracking and closing in on everything hit anywhere in the outfield. Yet in the fourth inning, he took a puzzling, slow route to a shallow fly, missing on his diving attempt and giving Cody Bellinger a double. The ball had a 90 percent catch probability for Rafaela off the bat.
Prior to that misplay, Rafaela had seemingly backed away from a couple of balls in the right-center field gap, leaving plenty of space for Wilyer Abreu to make two catches. You’ll recall that Abreu nearly freight-trained Rafaela in Game 1. Alex Cora was asked before Game 2 if he needed to impart any wisdom on how his outfielders can communicate, and the manager largely pooh-poohed the suggestion.
“No, no, it’s two guys trying to make a play. Obviously communication has to be better, and they know it,” Cora said. “We got an out. A lot of people in the dugout are kind of like, ‘Oh!’ I’m like, ‘Wait, we got an out. Let’s go. Move on.’ But they know. … They know what they have to do. They are big leaguers, and they understand sometimes, you know, like mistakes like that, what am I going tell them? Communicate better? They know it.”
It didn’t seem like they did in Game 3, and it was costly, as the bloop double kick-started a four-run fourth inning — the only frame of the ballgame when runs crossed the plate.
Nathaniel Lowe also kicked away what could have been an inning-ending double play ball, which would have stopped the bleeding at two runs. That wasn’t an easy play, per se, but this is the big leagues. It’s one that should be made more often than not.
This might be unfair, but this photo of Ryan McMahon flipping into the Red Sox dugout to make a catch with his team up 4-0 in the late innings kind of presents the proper perspective on the defensive effort levels on display in Game 3.
Ryan McMahon flips into the Boston Red Sox dugout after making a in the eighth inning during Game 3 of the Wild Card Round at Yankee Stadium. Photo: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Cam Schlittler was nasty
While five hits and no runs is a miserable night of offense for the Red Sox, you do have to give credit where it’s due. Cam Schlittler was unbelievable. Elite velocity, total control, complete dominance.
This wasn’t, say, Jon Lieber silencing the Boston bats in the 2004 ALCS. The Yankees have themselves a good one in Schlittler.
Designated hitter Masataka Yoshida batted .571 in the series. That’s good, right?
Sort of.
He did drive in the key runs in Game 1, but he also had four singles. One of which stayed in the infield. Which is fine, but the Red Sox need a cleanup hitter. And a DH.
Trevor Story (.385/.385/.615, HR, 3 RBIs) had a good series at the plate. Alex Bregman was 3-for-10 with a double, an RBI and two talks. But that was it.
The quintet of Ceddanne Rafaela, Carlos Narvaez, Romy Gonzalez, Rob Refsnyder and Wilyer Abreu were a combined 1-for-37. Jarren Duran was 1-for-11. Nathaniel Lowe was 1-for-7. Nick Sogard and Nate Eaton, guys who weren’t even supposed to be on the team, accounted for 21 percent of the team’s hits and two of their three doubles.
Ultimately, the offensive concerns from the regular season caught up to them in the brief series.
Connelly Early was a bright spot
There wasn’t too much to like on Thursday night, but Connelly Early’s temperament would have to make the list. The kid wasn’t afraid of the moment, and if Rafaela had simply made a play that he needs to make, it’s anyone’s guess what Early’s final line would have looked like.
Early obviously doesn’t have the raw power that his counterpart, Schlittler, had. But he mixed his pitches to keep batters off balance, showed off his big sweeper, and looked like a young player who should have a spot in the rotation at the start of the 2026 season.
Payton Tolle was the rookie who had the most electric debut, but Early is the one with the best finish.
PHILADELPHIA, PA -- The New York Islanders have been seeing Maxim Shabanov do the little things effectively through his first NHL preseason.
While the little things continued, the 24-year-old Russian signing found the back of the net in the Islanders' preseason finale.
After an on-the-money backhand pass from Simon Holmstrom to spring Maxim Tsyplakov over the Flyers blue line, No. 7 hit Shabanov right on the tape, before he quickly redirected the shot over Flyers netminder Sam Ersson's blocker for the goal.
While Shabanov continues to get adjusted to the NHL game, expecting flashiness on every shift, his ability to find space and alter his positioning to get certain shots off is what's going to lead to him having success.
CLEVELAND — Dillon Dingler hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning, Wenceel Pérez drove in a pair of runs in a four-run seventh and the Detroit Tigers defeated the Cleveland Guardians 6-3 on Thursday in the deciding Game 3 of their AL Wild Card Series.
It is the second straight season the Tigers have won a Wild Card Series on the road. Detroit heads to Seattle for the first two games of a best-of-five Division Series, with Game 1 on Saturday.
It was also a little bit of sweet revenge for the Tigers after their season ended in Cleveland last year with a loss in Game 5 of the ALDS.
“I don’t think it needs to be any sweeter than what it feels like right now because you have to earn these wins,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “You have to earn the opportunity to play in October. You’ve got to earn a full-series win over a good team, a hot team, a team that we know well.”
The AL West champion Mariners, the second seed, took four of six regular-season meetings with the Tigers, who are the third AL wild card.
José Ramírez drove in Cleveland’s first run with a single. The AL Central champion Guardians were 15 1/2 games back in early July before completing the biggest comeback in division or league play in baseball history.
However, they ran out of steam in the playoffs as Detroit turned the page after posting the second-worst record in the majors in September (7-17).
“It stinks for it to end that way. I couldn’t be more proud of them, of what we accomplished,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “It’s not enough. We want more. And I think that’s really the message, is let this sting. We’re close. We are really close. We’re not quite there yet.”
The game was tied 1-all with two outs in the sixth when Dingler got an elevated changeup from Joey Cantillo on a 1-1 count and drove it 401 feet into the bleachers in left-center to put the Tigers on top.
It was also the first postseason hit and RBI for the Tigers catcher.
“I was able to get a pitch to hit and do a little damage,” Dingler said. “I feel like the momentum in the series was the biggest thing. The team with the biggest momentum or the most momentum was the one that was going to carry on.”
Detroit then broke it open in the seventh by sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring four times to make it 6-1.
With one out and the bases loaded, Pérez lined a base hit to right off Erik Sabrowski to drive in Javier Báez and Parker Meadows. Hunter Gaddis came in and gave up RBI singles to Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene, which brought in Kerry Carpenter and Pérez.
Kyle Finnegan got the win, retiring all four batters he faced in relief. Cantillo took the loss.
“When Wenceel got the hit — I don’t know why, in baseball, it seems like one good thing happens and then two, three, four, five at-bats in a row were exceptional,” Hinch said. “We wanted to get even more greedy and do more. But it was nice to separate and breathe a little bit. But knowing they weren’t going to give in.”
The Tigers opened the scoring in the third. With one out and runners on the corners, Carpenter hit a grounder down the first-base line that deflected off C.J. Kayfus’ glove when he tried to backhand it. The ball rolled into foul territory near the stands as Meadows scored. Carpenter went to second and Gleyber Torres advanced to third on what the official scorer ruled a double
The Guardians tied it in the fourth. George Valera led off with a double to the right-field corner and scored on Ramírez’s base hit on a knuckle curve by starter Jack Flaherty on a full count.
The single was the 40th hit of Ramírez’s postseason career, making him the fifth player in franchise history to reach that mark.
In the eighth inning, Detroit reliever Will Vest dropped a throw while covering first base on Ramírez’s grounder for an error that allowed Brayan Rocchio and Steven Kwan to score. Vest quickly recovered the ball near the dugout, however, and threw out Ramírez trying to reach second on the play.
Sportico released its NHL team valuations this week. It now has the average value for NHL teams at $2.1 billion. Check it out to learn more.
The Hockey News owner W. Graeme Roustan shares his NHL team valuations every year in the Money & Power hockey business annual. In Money & Power 2025, the average team valuation was at $2.03 billion.
It's no wonder the NHL's salary cap is rising quickly. It's also no wonder that any expansion team would probably cost at least $2 billion to enter the league. Which potential expansion city do you think could easily pay that price?
The Toronto Maple Leafs are about to finish their 2025-26 training camp, and as it happens, the Maple Leafs are very deep at every position -- but certainly, the most depth they've got is on the wings. And as we'll exploain, we're telling you this because the Buffalo Sabres should be looking into acquiring into one of a few veteran Leafs wingers in particular: right winger/center Calle Jarnkrok, and left-wingers David Kampf and Nick Robertson.
Let's be clear -- we're in no way aruging Robertson, Jarnkrok and Kampf are going to be big-time difference-makers for the Sabres if Buffalo acquires one of them. These are fringe, not foundational players. But there could be something to the Sabres improving their bottom-six group of forwards, and that should get Sabres GM Kevyn Adams reaching out to Leafs counterpart Brad Treliving and inquiring about the asking price for each of the three. Indeed, the price can't be much at all, other than the cap space Toronto is looking to build up.
Now, the Sabres don't have any obvious holes, so a player like Jarnkrok or Robertson would have to work their way into being a Sabres regular. But they'd be closer to a bona fide opportunity in Buffalo than any of the trio woulde if they remain in Toronto. And only Kampf is signed beyond this season, so it would be a low-risk, decent-reward acquisition if the Sabres were bold enough to make it.
If the move pans out, voila -- you've acquired a veteran for next season at a bargain price. Those are the type of moves no GM can afford to turn down. At a time in league history when it's all but impossible to acquire high-end talent, every team should be aiming to improve its bottom-six group of forwards, and that's what Buffalo would be doing by picking up Jarnkrok, Kampf or Robertson.
Again, you have to consider the price here if you're a Sabres fan hearing this idea for the first time. You're only taking the money off Toronto's hands. And for giving the Leafs that luxury, you wind up with a player who can contribute positive things for you as you push to end a 14-year Stanley Cup playoff berth. To quote TV's Breaking Bad: "Everybody wins."
The Sabres have $5.3-million in salary cap space, so they can absorb the full contract of either Robertson, Jarnkrok or Kampf and still have sufficient cap space to make other acquisitions during the coming season. But they'd be setting a new bar for their forwards by trading for one of Toronto's surplus wingers
Adams can't bank on acquiring true needle-movers during the year. But what he can do is recognize a solid gamble when he sees one, and move quickly to improve the Sabres' overall depth and add the experience that Jarnkrok, Kampf and Robertson would bring to the organization.
It might not work, but at least you could say you more or less spent every penny available to you under the cap by spending these last few millions on a veteran or two to be an improved team. Remember, you don't accrue cap space year after year. So there's really no excuse for not emptying the coffers and investing all the salary you can.
It could wind up being the difference between making and missing the post-season. And if you're a Sabres fan, you should be happy with an improved team to cheer on, regardless of how that improvement takes place. And there are options in Leafs Land that can help Buffalo with its playoff push.
In a week, the Nashville Predators will open up their 2025-26 campaign, taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets Oct. 9 at Bridgestone Arena at 7 p.m. CST.
Last season was statistically one of the worst in Predators franchise history as the team finished in seventh in the Central Division with a 30-44-8 record and 68 points.
The season followed a free agency period in which Nashville acquired notable names like Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei.
With a new season on the horizon, Predators fans shared their expectations, thoughts, opinions and ideas for this year.
Fans on r/predators on Reddit were given a survey to gather their thoughts on the last season, this coming season, and specific opinions they may have. Answers were logged anonymously, and not every question was required to be answered.
Here are the results of that survey.
Who is your favorite current player?
1. Filip Forsberg
2. Juuse Saros
3. Roman Josi
4. Ryan O’Reilly
5. Fedor Svechkov
What was the biggest thing you took away from last season?
Struggles with the defense and center depth seemed to be the biggest concern for Predator fans last season.
We definitely need high-caliber centers if we want to really be competitive.
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Need a playmaking center and to shore up the backend.
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While center depth remains a concern for the Predators entering this season, they have addressed this issue by making a handful of acquisitions on the back end, trading for Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nic Hague and signing Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nick Perbix.
One fan mentioned that goalie Juuse Saros could've had a better season if the defense in front of him had improved.
Juuse Saros is an incredible goaltender, but he can't steal games without more stability in the D-Core. Nashville famously has incredible defense and historic goaltending, but never an explosive offense. Now, it seems we've even lost that defensive piece.
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Coaching was also cited as a concern from last season. In his second year, after reaching the playoffs in his first season as head coach, Andrew Brunette had a massive sophomore slump.
It's put him in a difficult position coming into this season as he has the highest odds to get fired first according to BetMGM.
Need better coaching. I think the system prevented the players from achieving success and becoming a winning team.
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What is something you think the Predators can realistically achieve this season?
Every hockey fan wants their team to win the Stanley Cup every season, but for the Predators, right now, that isn't the most realistic goal.
Many Predators fans believe that a true, realistic goal for the team is to make the playoffs as a Wild Card team. The Central Division is deep, but fans think this team has a chance to squeak its way into the playoffs.
I think there is a shot that the team competes for the last playoff spot in the conference/division. The new talent, a refreshed year brings that potential.
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Other fans were a little bit more skeptical, saying that playoffs are still out of reach.
I would like to believe the playoffs are possible, but that’s a stretch that may be just beyond realism.
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Some fans want to see general improvement, that being a higher finish in the standings than last year, more consistent play and possibly an identity change focused on a rebuild. This will be a critical year in deciding if the Predators want to continue with their current model or start from scratch.
I believe the Preds can realistically be a middle of the pack team this year. I'm not one of the Preds doomers wanting us to tank, I want to see effort and improvement.
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Settle in craft a new identity. The Preds have played gritty dump-and-chase hockey for as long as I've watched. That may be Brunette's system too, but our aging veterans can't play to that intensity for the entire season. We need to take a step back, analyze strengths, then adjust the system and settle in."
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Who will benefit the Predators the most this season?
This is where the answers started becoming a little bit more open ended.
Fans were asked back-to-back questions about individuals. Who was going to benefit the team this season, and who wasn't?
Let's start with the positive. The bulk of the Predators fans who answered believe that there's a lot of potential in future prospects, and the team can start benefiting from that talent now.
"n general, our younger talent as a whole can have the biggest benefit. Going out there and hustling, forcing contact, and trying new things can really help the team open up scoring chances. Out of that group, [Zachary] L’Heureux has my eye for being a key driver of this.
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Youth movement. Need to see legit performance from [Luke] Evangelista, L'Heureux, [Joakim] Kemell. Would like to see [Spencer] Stastny bounce back but I think that's unlikely. Give [Brady] Martin his games because he looks comfortable enough to play them.
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Fedor Svechkov and Tanner Molendyk were two other names, alongside the ones mentioned, that fans believe could have a significant impact.
As for the veterans, fans believe that Roman Josi and Saros can have "bounce back" seasons. Josi missed the final few games of last season due to a Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) diagnosis and spent the entirety of the offseason recovering. He has already returned for training camp.
Saros just had a down year compared to the previous seasons. Signed to an extended contract, this is going to be a big year not just for him, but for the front office that signed him to the extension
Josi is a make-or-break season. If he's in form, the team can win.
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If Saros is back to form, then his impact could change everything.
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Who will benefit the Predators the least this season?
These answers centered around mainly two things: Barry Trotz and aging players.
Trotz, the Predators' first-ever head coach, returned to the organization in 2023 as general manager. His tenure has been complicated, to say the least, as he tries to stick to the Predators' "Smashville" identity while building toward the future in a more offensively focused NHL.
A handful of acquisitions, or lack thereof, this offseason have left fans uneasy heading into this season.
GM Barry Trotz. He’s a coach who has no business being a GM. He’s been taken advantage of in trades and has handed out some really awful contracts that have hamstrung the team financially.
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Barry Trotz. Continues to sign and play players that seem not to fit the coaches’ preferred schemes.
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The other concern comes around older players in core roles. Specifically, Brady Skjei, who is 31 years old, is entering the second year of a seven-year contract. Since joining the Predators in the 2024 offseason, his production has gradually declined.
Skjei. I would love to see him have a breakout season, but he can be a weak aspect that really hinders the team's ability to stay consistent across every shift.
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Honestly, I'm kind of worried about Skjei. He gets a lot of flak, and I tend to cut him more slack than that, but now we have so many defensemen, it feels like he and his huge contract are just in the way, and I still am not convinced he will turn it around yet. Would rather have a younger guy in his spot.
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Older talent in general is becoming an issue for fans, and there is a growing need to get the next generation of Predators players to Nashville.
We can't double down on getting more 30+ year old forwards that won't help the team now nor be part of the core in the long term.
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Fans' prediction for Predators' 2025-26 season
The majority of fans who took the survey believe that the Nashville Predators will not make the playoffs, with the "no" vote making up 55.3% of the poll.
When it comes to placement in the standings, fans averaged that the Predators would finish 23rd in the NHL and sixth in the Central Division.
Compared to the 2024-25 standings, that would be a seven-spot improvement in the league standings and a one-spot improvement in the divisional standings, but still 14 points outside of a Wild Card spot.
Final thoughts
Trotz is getting a lot of hate, some of it is deserved, but I am on his team for now. I love his draft picks and think we need to give him another 3 years or so before we start to judge him, not only for his past decisions but to give him time to grow in a position he hasn't done before. Few people can step into a new role like that and immediately be successful, or even "average", at it.
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Future outlook isn't as bad as some outlets say, but this team is still missing top-line talent on forward and defense. Lots of good prospects in the system with Martin, Surin, Molendyk, Svechkov, Wood, Lee, etc.
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Getting fans a 3rd jersey (it's been 14 years).
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It feels like the Preds are wanting their cake and to eat it too. The team feels devoid of identity and direction.
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We need a direction other than just playoff edge, even if it’s a full rebuild, and we need to draft and develop way better.
Don Rea Jr writes letter to organization’s members
European players and wives were verbally abused
The president of the PGA of America, who had initially dismissed abuse directed at Europe’s players during this year’s Ryder Cup as no worse than at “a youth soccer game”, has issued an apology.
“Let me begin with what we must own. While the competition was spirited – especially with the US team’s rally on Sunday afternoon – some fan behavior clearly crossed the line,” Don Rea Jr wrote in an email to PGA of America members. “It was disrespectful, inappropriate, and not representative of who we are as the PGA of America or as PGA of America golf professionals. We condemn that behavior unequivocally.”
